Hotel Industry News | Canada's Travel Industry

By TravelPress Staff

October 21, 2015

Club Med Celebrates

Club Med celebrated its 65th anniversary in fine fashion last night at an industry function at The Old Mill in Toronto, highlighted by the launch of its 2016 Trident brochure. Carolyn Doyon, senior vice-president of Club Med Canada and Mexico, kicked off the evening by inviting guests to “press pause” – the name of the 2016 Trident brochure. “Overall, 2015 was a very successful year and for that you should be congratulated. In Canada, we experienced a 12% increase in individual activity over the winter season and a 5% increase during the summer,” she said, adding Ontario...

By Bob Mowat

October 21, 2015

Winter’s On Its Way And RIU’s Ready

RIU sounds a little bit like “renew,” which is perhaps just a coincidence for the mega-all-inclusive chain, which is forever building, renewing and renovating, writes managing editor, Michael Baginski in this week's digital edition of Travel Courier. Reportedly the 30th largest chain in the world, with over 100 hotel/resorts in 16 countries, there's always something new at RIU, prompting the company's VP of sales & business development Oliver Kluth to visit Canada regularly to update the trade on the company's latest developments. In familiar surroundings at the Toronto...

By Bob Mowat

October 20, 2015

Sailing To Gold

TravelOnly is busy these days, providing its member agents with in-depth training and earning honours from its key suppliers. In Halifax, the agency group brought its East Coast associates and potential travel guests to join them at the Halifax Cruise-a-thon which showcased top cruise lines. TravelOnly also hosted a live training seminar with Celebrity, Carnival, Crystal and Uniworld that included pre-booked, on-board ship inspections. As well, three of TravelOnly's top agents – Pat Probert, Kelly Neonakis-Morash and Reese Morash – discussed the benefits of cruising before...

By TravelPress Staff

October 20, 2015

Sandals Takes Home 17 World Travel Awards

Sandals Resorts International (SRI) was in the winner's circle as it was honoured at the 22nd Annual World Travel Awards’ Caribbean & The North America Ceremony (held Oct. 17 at Sandals Emerald Bay Golf, Tennis & Spa Resort) with 17 awards. In addition to this distinguished accomplishment, SRI once again received the notable recognition of Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand, thus earning the title for 22 consecutive years. New to the winners’ circle was Sandals Barbados, which was awarded Caribbean’s Leading Resort after recently opening this past January. “We are...

By Bob Mowat

October 19, 2015

Wyndham Has Plans For Sam Lord’s

With a growing interest in expanding its portfolio of upscale brands in the Caribbean, the Wyndham Hotel Group has unveiled plans to develop the 450-room Sam Lord's Castle Barbado, A Wyndham Grand Resort. The property will be located in the parish of St. Philip at the former site of Sam Lord's Castle – a spot renowned for pirates in the 19th century and one that carries great historical significance in the Caribbean today. The all-new construction resort is being developed with Barbados Tourism Investment, Inc. and will be managed by Wyndham Hotel Group. In addition to spacious,...

By Bob Mowat

October 19, 2015

Re-Inventing B2B Loyalty

It has been a year since the revolution started and by all accounts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts' SPG Pro B2B loyalty program for meeting and travel professionals has been a rousing success. Alison Taylor, senior vice-president, Starwood Sales Organization, observed of the program: “SPG Pro allows us to reward our customers like nobody else, offering one holistic program that recognizes the personal and professional bookings with us.” Taylor continued: “Just one year in, SPG Pro has generated significant revenue, grown our member base in 189 countries, and rewarded enough...

By Bob Mowat

October 16, 2015

Booking.com Is All About Business

Booking.com reports that an increasing number of leisure travellers coming to its site are also making business travel bookings. As a result, the accommodation booking platform has responded with a number of tailored services designed to provide road warriors with an easier and more rewarding experience, as well as providing employers with better value. Ripsy Bandourian, senior product owner for Booking.com, noted that: “Among Booking.com customers, location is the primary factor when selecting a place to stay when travelling for work. With around a third of US business bookings...

By Bob Mowat

October 16, 2015

Toronto’s Chelsea Hotel Celebrates 40th

The Chelsea Hotel Toronto has seen a lot of changes over the course of the last 40 years since it officially opened its doors on Oct. 15, 1975. To mark its 40th birthday, the property hosted a group of its partners, supporters, travel trade types and community members for an event that saw the hotel present its chosen charity – the Hospital For Sick Children's Sick Kids Foundation – with a cheque for $100,000; unveil a new piece of art by its artist in residence; and also introduce a new Sick Kids Foundation wishing well in its lobby – the money from which will be donated to that...

By Bob Mowat

October 15, 2015

Wyoming ski resort gets a lift in 2015

A new high-speed quad at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will take the spotlight at the Wyoming resort this winter following three years of terrain and lift construction. Opening Dec. 19, the Teton lift boasts 1,200 verticle metres with an capactiy of 2,000 skiers per hour. Lured by the annual Snow Show, Jackson Hole reps – including (shown here, l-r)), Jackson Hole chamber of commerce president and CEO Jeff Golightly, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort BDM Patrick Nelson, and Hampton Inn sales manager Rob Pitts - called in Toronto Wednesday to update the trade on developments in the...

By Bob Mowat

October 14, 2015

Lending A Helping Hand In The Bahamas

Following the destruction in the Bahamas by Hurricane Joaquin, the Sandals Foundation has sounded the call for support to help the people of the Bahamas. The southern islands of San Salvador, Cat Island and Rum Cay were most impacted by the category 4 storm, while Long Island was also experienced extensive damage. The Bahamas Relief Campaign has already seen many donations, which include both cash and in-kind support for the recovery team. Monetary donations are being managed through the Foundation's online portal at http://www.sandalsfoundation.org and are also being accepted on-site...